The Long Journey Home

by Gaylin

The bad thing about going on a Disney vacation, is realizing time has run out and you have go home. Getting home from a theme park to that notice on your door that your trip to the airport with Magical Express has been scheduled, or as many call it, the Tragical Express, going home is darn sad.

My flight wasn't until 6:30 in the evening so I checked my carry-on bag with bell services and got on a bus for one last walk around Downtown Disney. I bought my dinner to take to the airport as well. My flight schedule had me getting home about midnight PST. Little did I know how long my trip was really going to be.

Once I got back to the Pop Century Resort, I only had a bit of time to spend at the resort while waiting for my final tragical bus trip. Here is my last photo inside the resort lobby. This lovely floor plate of all the years!

And here I am with my tragic face, about to get on the bus. I think I will make a tragic final photo a new tradition. The girls who took my photo thought I did a great job of looking really sad. That little red suitcase and the backpack on my back contain all my clothes and souvenirs! 

A look back at the resort from the bus.

When I got to the airport, I had a wee surprise, for some reason I was pre-cleared at check-in and got to go in a much shorter security line-up and didn't have to take off my shoes! Security barely looked at me, I guess I just don't look like a bad guy. 

Once I got to the waiting area, bad news, a thunder storm was going over the airport and there had been lightening strikes close to the airstrips. That means – no flights were leaving. We waited and waited, everyone in my waiting area took a photo of this rainbow and then finally we got to board. At least we weren't on the incoming flight from Seattle, they had to sit on the tarmac for almost an hour until it was safe for them to dock with the building.

I have to tell you, many people think the bathrooms at the value resorts are too small. Nope, airplane bathrooms are TOO small.

Finally I get to SeaTac (Seattle/Tacoma) airport and as soon as I saw how empty it was, I knew I had missed my connecting flight to Vancouver.

Since the next flight wasn't until the morning, I was offered a hotel room. I refused, I knew the travel time to and from the airport and having to go through security again would mean I would get a 2 hour nap in the room. I chose to stay in the airport and the airline gave me food coupons. Thankfully a few shops stay open overnight.

It was a long night of loafing about, snacking every now and then and even laying on a bench for a nap.

And after a short flight, I was finally home in Vancouver. As you can see from the following photo, the Vancouver airport wasn't any busier than SeaTac!

I was missing the noise and crowds of WDW.

Home again, my next trip won't be until 2015 and I will need to start a count down soon. All in all, I was awake for over 30 hours, I was very happy to get home and go to bed - at 10 in the morning!